Intermission

The past couple have weeks have given me a lot to think about. I’ve finalized a few deals, signed on to a few new projects, and have started to carve out a routine of my own amidst the chaos of being a VC without much C, and freelancing for startups.

Given the change in pace I’ve had the time, an intermission if you will - to sit down and write something a little different. I’m hoping to finish it next week with the aim of having it in your inbox shortly after. The piece is titled Hustle & Flow and I’ll probably release it in two parts. 

The general idea of the essay is to focus on the 2 words: Hustle & Flow, and the evolution of their definitions. How has the word “hustle” changed in our collective imaginations? Where did it come from? What role do these words play in my life, your life - and also in the greater world of startups, venture, etc. I’ll do the same for “flow” as well. 

It’s not much of a historical fact driven account as it is a short personal prose project. Regardless, I’m interested to hear what you think and certainly keen to learn where these words sit in your mind.

Vocabulary: Why do I write about words?

It is often forgotten that words are very much like people. Similar to humans, words exist in relation to one another and when put together they create more meaning and beauty. Over time, as our vocabulary grows and expands, words change. Words reinvent themselves and some eventually fade away. 

To reflect on vocabulary in this way and to see words as living breathing parts of our world, is to understand that language is a deep well that can help us unpack our reality.

Curation

Also, I thought I’d take part in the curation game and provide you readers with the delights I’ve been consuming from different corners of the internet. 

READ:

1. The Casualties of Perfection: Morgan Housel is a deep thinker who has actually inspired me to double down on my writing style - weaving in between seemingly disconnected ideas and harmonizing them to tell a greater story. This short piece on his blog does exactly that. Here’s a snippet: “time spent wandering around a park or aimlessly lounging on a couch might be your most valuable hours. A little inefficiency is wonderful.”

2. The Magic of the Book: Hermann Hesse on Why We Read: Herman Hesse is an author of one of my favorite books that I read as a child (Siddartha) - a book that I mention in my upcoming piece on Hustle & Flow. This particular essay describes why, in a world full of endless content, Hesse’s idea that books will maintain a certain form of magnetism, is timeless.

3. you have what you want: Recently discovered this internet writer named Ava, also known as noampomsky, or bookbear. She writes intimately about real problems, solutions, emotions - personal & professional. It is honest and necessary writing/reading.

4. 26: I'm back, sort of: Another piece of honest writing, this time from Nadia Eghbal, who focuses on how the internet enables individual creators.

5. Living Pharmacies Could Remedy Disrupted Sleep: Extracted from one of my favorite biotech, longevity focused newsletters: NEO.life - this article explores the R&D of an internal pharmacy that could exist within our bodies to treat everything from traveler’s diarrhea to jet lag.

LISTEN:

1. Juul and The Business of Addiction: Bloomberg’s Lauren Etter on the rise and decline of an e-cigarette upstart

2. 190 - The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Via the Stoic Coffee Break a short podcast on stoic principles.

3. Alex Danco — Everyone's Job is World Building: Danco is another great thinker who writes a newsletter that I enjoy. The talk covers pretty much everything from startups and internet culture to random historical facts.

4. Davíd Versus Goliath: The story of the Puerto Rican National Basketball team competing against the legendary team USA in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

WATCH

1. Puppies: I’m in the market for a dog, and I’ve chosen the Aussiedoodle.

2. Brian Chesky’s Airbnb Story: Did you know the first 70k of runway came from selling cereal boxes at the DNC?

3. Focus: A talk on why focus is important.

4. Ray: A film adaptation of 4 short stories written by Satyajit Ray, one of my favorite directors. In1992, Ray was one of the first South Asians to win Oscar.

Thanks for reading and if you enjoyed this format, click the heart button and let me know :)